The Blue Picardy Spaniel (or Épagneul Bleu de Picardie) is a breed of

Spaniel A spaniel is a Dog type, type of gun dog. Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of denser brush. By the late 17th century, spaniels had been specialized into water and land breeds. The extinct English Water Spaniel was used to retrie ...

originating in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

, from the area around the mouth of the

River Somme The Somme ( , , ) is a river in Picardy, northern France. The river is in length, from its source in the high ground of the former at Fonsomme near Saint-Quentin, to the Bay of the Somme, in the English Channel. It lies in the geological ...

, around the start of the 20th century. It is descended from

Picardy Spaniel The Picardy Spaniel is a breed of dog developed in France for use as a gundog. It is related to the Blue Picardy Spaniel, and still has many similarities, but the Picardy Spaniel is the older of the two breeds. It is thought to be one of the tw ...

s and

English Setter The English Setter is a medium-size breed of dog. It is part of the setter group, which includes the red Irish Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, and black-and-tan Gordon Setters. The mainly white body coat is of medium length with long sil ...

s, and is described as a quiet breed that requires much exercise due to its stamina. It is especially good with children. Similar to the Picardy Spaniel, it has a distinctive coloured coat. Recognised by only a handful of kennel associations, the breed is predominantly known in France and Canada.

Description

Appearance

A Blue Picardy Spaniel on average is around high at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ...

and weighs . Its coat is speckled grey black forming a bluish shade, with some black patches. The coat is flat or a little wavy with feathering on the ears, legs, underside and tail. It has long legs with some

setter The setter is a type of gundog used most often for hunting game such as quail, pheasant, and grouse. In the UK, the four setter breeds, together with the pointers, usually form a subgroup within the gundog group as they share a common funct ...

characteristics. It has a long broad nose and muzzle, with thick ears covered in silky hair that usually end around the tip of the muzzle. Its chest is of medium size that descends down to the same level as the elbows. Both the forequarters and the hindquarters are well muscled. Its tail typically does not extend beyond the

hock Hock may refer to: Common meanings: * Hock (wine), a type of wine * Hock (anatomy), part of an animal's leg * To leave an item with a pawnbroker People: * Hock (surname) * Richard "Hock" Walsh (1948-1999), Canadian blues singer Other uses: * A t ...

and is normally straight. The breed has many similarities with the

due to the two breeds' recent history. The Blue Spaniel is described as being softer, as well as the obvious difference in coat color. The Picardy has a brown coat, whereas the Blue Picardy has a black and grey coat, which was brought into the breed by the introduction of

blood. Similar in the modern era due to the close similarities of the two different breed standards. In addition, the Blue Picardy is a little faster, and has a slightly finer nose.

Temperament

It is a versatile hunting dog, used for its ability to locate and retrieve game in harsh and adverse terrain and conditions. It is not specialised to any one type of terrain, and tends to score well in field trials. The Blue Picardy is considered to be a quiet breed, but it requires a great deal of exercise, as it has a high level of stamina. It loves to play and is a responsive and obedient breed which thrives on human companionship. It is especially good with children.

Health

The breed has no known genetic health issues. Blue Picardy Spaniels can be prone to ear infections, which are common among dogs with

pendulous This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

ears, including

Basset Hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ''ground-scent'' is second only to the Bloodhound.Har ...

s and other breeds of

. It has an average life expectancy of thirteen years.

History

At the turn of the 20th century the area around the mouth of the

was considered a paradise for hunters interested in

wildfowl The Anatidae are the biological family of water birds that includes ducks, geese, and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica. These birds are adapted for swimming, floating o ...

. Because of quarantine restrictions in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English ...

shooters would board their dogs in the Picardy area, near the mouth of the Somme. This caused the infusion of

blood into the local Spaniel population and developed the Blue Picardy Spaniel. While the first black, blue-grey Spaniel was recorded in 1875, it was not until 1904 when the

was first shown. This Spaniel was officially classified as a French Spaniel, and was shown at the Paris Canine Exposition. When the Picard Spaniel and Blue Picardy Spaniel Club was formed in 1907, the two different breeds of Picardy Spaniel were categorised. In France, the Blue Picardy was recognised as a separate breed in 1938. About 1,000 Blue Picardy Spaniel puppies are born in France each year. The first person to import the Blue Picardy Spaniel into

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

was Ronald Meunier of

Saint-Julien, Quebec Saint-Julien is a municipality located in the Municipalité régionale de comté des Appalaches in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Chaudière-Appalaches Chaudière-Appalaches () is an administrative region in Quebec, Canada. It comprises mo ...

, around 1987, and the breed was then recognised by the

Canadian Kennel Club The Canadian Kennel Club (or CKC), founded in 1888 and chartered under the Animal Purebred Act, is one of the national kennel clubs of Canada. It maintains breed registries A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in ...

effective 1 June 1995. The breed is recognised by the

American Rare Breed Association The American Rare Breed Association (ARBA) is a kennel club for owners and fanciers of dog breeds and types not recognised by the American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United St ...

, which uses the same standard as the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) ( English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspice ...

References

External links

Espagneuls Picards, Bleus de Picardie & Pont Audemer Club (In French)

Nederlandse Vereniging Epagneul Bleu de Picardie (In Dutch)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Picardy Spaniel FCI breeds Dog breeds originating in France Gundogs Pointers Spaniels Rare dog breeds